Seal provided with ribs



June 8, 1965 M. M. DELGADO SEAL PROVIDED WITH RIBS Filed Feb. 13, 1965u- @K M Arroausvs.

3,188,100 SEAL PRGVIDED WITH RIBS Manuel M. Delgado, 14525 Florita, LaMirada, Calif.

Filed Feb. 13, 1963, Ser. No. 258,262 7 Claims. (Cl. 277-205) 'usedwhich performs its function effectively over a temperature range muchlarger than that of conventional organic sealants.- 1

In the past, it has beenthe practice to use a harder plated metal bodyribbed on both sides for a high temperature gas-tight seal. The platedmetal is softer,but the material used therefor must be selected, atleast in ,part, for its desirable electroplating property. The same istrue of the harder metal body. Unfortunately, the functions of bothmetals in forming a gas-tight seal is completely unaffected by theelectroplating property of each. It is in fact the malleability of thesoft metal that is the property of principal concern when it functionsas a seal. In particular, hopefully the plated metal at the tips of theseal ribs is mechanically driven or compressed into extremely smallgrooves or scratches or tool marks in the contacting surfaces of a pair.of annular flanges between which the metal seal bodyris compressed.

Due to the fact that it has not been possible to use extremely malleableplating metals because of their poor electroplating properties, plated,metal seals have performed poorly. They have also suffered in, theirperformance because it is not possible to electroplate' a small, verysharp edge. Note will be taken that a small, sharp malleable metaledge'may' be deformed and driven or compressed into the small annularflange grooves much farther and with a substantially improved sealingeffect over that whichmay be produced with a large, dull malleable metaledge.

It is known in the'a-rt that a metal plated metal O-ring may be employedfor a high-temperature gas-tight seal. However, it is not possible withsuch a seal touse a ribbedmetalbody because of figure-eight deflectionthat V the O-iing takesunder a compression load.

The present invention overcomes the above-described and otherdisadvantages of the prior art by providing a seal including arelatively hard metal body clad with a relatively soft metal.

The word clad as used herein is a technical word of art. A hard metalsheet is conventionally clad with a sheet of soft metal by preparing thesurfaces of each of the sheets meticulously, so that the same areabsolutely smooth to within extemely small tolerances, carefullycleaning the surfaces of the sheets, and pressing the two sheetstogether with an extremely high force, i.e., at pressures of millions ofpounds per square inch to cause the sheets to. adhere to one another bya molecular bond therebetween.

As stated previously, the cladding process described in the immediatelypreceding paragraph is conventional. Hence, no claim is, of course, madeto that process or the product thereof, i.e. clad metal sheet per se.However, it is an outstanding feature of the present invention that ahard metal sheet clad with a softer metal is employed as a seal inaccordance with the present invention, because in this case, thematerial of the cladding sheet may be selected for its malleableproperty rather than for its electro- United States Patent 3,188,100Patented June 8, 1965 "ice I plating property. This makes it anextremely valuable metal sealing material. Note will be taken that suchwas not possible in the case of prior art electroplated malleablematerials.

In accordance with the present invention, the metal sheet thereof mayinclude a toroidal shaped hard metal body having an annular slot throughthe internal surface theerofto provide a sealing ring of a C-shapedcross section. As stated previously, metal seals are in general clampedbetween annular flanges. Hence, the hard metal ring may be clad, on itsexternal surface with a soft metal. The hard metalis preferably made ofa material having a high resilience. Due to the fact that the soft metalis clad rather than electroplated in accordance with the prior art, itis in fact possible to select a hard metal of properties more suitablefor a metal seal than was heretofore possible in accordance with priorart practices, because prior, art practice required the use of a hardresilient metal suitable for electroplating.

In accordance with another outstanding feature of the present invention,the clad metal thereof may be located in 'a rib on the harder metal. Italso may be provided with an extremely small width and may be machinedto have an extremely sharp edge. This construction likewise issubstantially improved over the rather large 'dull edge of prior artelectroplated ribs. in that the small, sharp, clad malleable metal ofthe present invention may be driven or compressed into the small groovesof the annular compressing flanges employed in high-temperaturegas-tight seals.

It is also a feature of the present invention that a ring of a C-shapedcross section be employed in lieu of the conventional metal O-ring ofthe prior art in that the C-shaped section of the ring of the presentinvention does not take a figure-eight deflection that the O-fing of thepriorart does. Thus, the compression load may be pro? vided directly onthe small sharp edge of the malleable clad metal of the presentinvention.

A method of fabricating a clad metal seal having a clad sealingmalleable metal rib thereon of an extremely small width and an extremelysharp edge will be described. This method includes the step of removingspaced portions of a softer metal ,clad onto a harder metal to leave arib of the softer metal on the harder metal between the said portions ofthe softer metal. It is also an outstanding feature that this step maybe performed in a manner such that the rib is left with a relativelysharp edge. The softer metal may be removed by machining. This is notpossible with electroplated malleable metal because the same flakes offof the harder metal onto which the same is plated. It was, in fact, anoutstanding discovery of the present invention that clad metal might beso machined.

The above described and other advantages of the present invention willbe better understood from the following description when considered inconnection with the accompanying drawings. 7

In the drawings which are to be regarded as merely illustrative:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a ring seal made in accordance with thepresent invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the ring taken on the line 2-2 shown inFIG. 1; and 7 FIG. 3 is a broken away side elevational view of theportion of the ring shown in FIG. 2.

In the drawing inFIG. 1, a ring 10 is shown which may be constructed inaccordance with the present invention. The detail of the structure ofring 10 is better illustrated in FIG. 2. It will be noted that a hardmetal tube 11 is provided which is clad at 12, 13 and 14 with a softermetal. Opposite sides of ring 10 at 15 and 16 are machined flat and thesofter metal on the exterior of tube ring 10.

respectively, which are provided with sharp edges at 19 and 20respectively. Tube 11 is provided with an annular slot extending throughthe internal surface thereof around the complete interior of ring 10.

Ring is made as follows. The metal of tube 11 is made in sheet stock andthis sheet stock is clad with the sheet stock out of which soft metal at12, 13 and 14 is made. The same is true of the soft metal at ribs 17 and18. The hard metal of tube 11 may be stainless steel. This metal mayhave a relatively high resilience. The metal at 12, 13, 14, 17 and 18may be copper.

The copper clad stainless steel sheet is then formed into a copper cladtube 11 with the copper on the external 7 surface of the stainlesssteel. The seam of the tube may be at the inner portion of ring 10 andneed not be welded together in that the seam is eventually slotted at 21anyway. The slot 21 may be machined in tube 11. The ends of the tubing11 may be butt welded together and the weld ground flush with theexternal surface of the If desired, the slot 21 may be milled after thering 10 has been formed by butt Welding and grinding the weld. Oppositesides of ring 10 are then machined flat as at 15 and 16 leavingcopperribs 17 and 18 having relatively sharp edges at 19 and 20 respectively.

From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that by cladding tube 11instead of electroplating the same, it is possible to select a materialfor tube 11 for maximum strength, chemical resistance and/ ortemperature resistance suitable to the specific application. Stillfurther, the soft metal at 12, 13, 14, 17 and 18 may be chosen formaximum malleability, ductility, chemical resistance and/or temperatureresistance suitable to the specific application. Note will be taken thatthe present invention therefore is substantially improved over that ofthe prior art in that the prior art hard and soft metals of the metalseals thereof have, in the past, had to be selected on the basis oftheir suitable electroplating property. The seal of the .presentinvention also is substantially improved over that of the prior art.That is, edges 19 and 20 of ribs 17 and 18 can be made extremely sharp.This is true notwithstanding the fact that, as stated previously, it wasimpossible to produce such sharp edges with prior art electroplated softmetals in that such metals flake off of .be required with metal O-ringseals of the prior art.

Although only one specific embodiment of the present invention has beendescribed and illustrated herein, many changes and modifications will ofcourse suggest themselves to those skilled in the art. This singleembodiment has been selected for this disclosure for the purpose ofillustration only. The present invention should thereforenot be limitedto the embodiment so selected, the true scope of the invention beingdefined only in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A seal comprising: an approximately toroidal shaped hollow body madeof a spring material, said body having an annular slot thereininternally thereof; and a circular rib on each of the opposite sides ofsaid body clad thereto, said ribs being made of a relatively malleablematerial.

2. The invention as defined in claim 1, wherein said ribs haverelatively sharp axial edges.

3. A seal comprising: a tube-like body made of a spring metal and havinga shape similar to that of a torus; and an axially extending annular ribclad uponv opposite sides of said body, said ribs being made of a metalmore malleable than that of said body. I

4. The invention as defined in claim 3, wherein said ribs haverelatively sharp axial edges.

5. A seal comprising: a hollow tube-like body made of a spring metal andhaving a shape similar to that of a torus; and an axially extendingannular rib clad to one side of said body, said rib being made of ametal more malleable than that of said body.

6. A seal comprising: a metal ring; and an annular rib clad to saidring, said rib being made of a metal more malleable than that of saidring.

7. A seal comprising: a hollow tube-like body made of a spring metal andhaving a shape similar to that of a torus, said body having an annularslot therein internally thereof; and an axially extending annular ribclad to one side of said body, said rib being made of a metal moremalleable than that of said body.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 221,202 11/79Willard 277-205 1,478,108 12/23 Dieter 277-235 1,583,931 5/26 Joyce277-235 X 2,476,151 7/49 Leleune 29-529 2,589,107 3/52 Marien 277-2352,761,828 9/56 Eldrodge et al 29-529 XR 2,884,693 5/59 Wagner 29-5292,905,512 9/59 Anderson 277-235 2,938,758 5/ Phillips 277-235 2,985,5665/61 Tsien et al 29-529 XR 3,033,582 5/62 Creavey 277-207 3,104,884 9/63 Kerlin 277-235 X EDWARD V. BENHAM, Primary Examiner.

1. A SEAL COMPRISING: AN APPROXIMATELY TOROIDAL SHAPED HOLLOW BODY MADEOF A SPRING MATERIAL, SAID BODY HAVING AN ANNULAR SLOT THEREININTERNALLY THEREOF; AND A CIRCULAR RIB ON EACH OF THE OPPOSITE SIDES OFSAID BODY CLAD THERETO, SAID RIBS BEING MADE OF A RELATIVELY MALLEABLEMATERIAL.